Lynn D.

Background

About Lynn D.

My teaching and management philosophies are person-centered and goal driven. Before entering into academia, I was a police officer and detective. It was there that I learned about people and what drives them. I had the opportunity to see people at both their best and their worst, which gave me the opportunity to learn how to motivate and focus on outcomes. Teaching and managing are goal driven. Whether a person is motivated by self-improvement, needs income, or is earning a degree to fill a job requirement, motivation is the focus and what I have found to be most important when encouraging, managing, and mentoring. I have equal enjoyment teaching English 101 and watching the excitement of a student who says they “can’t write” complete their first successful writing assignment as I do watch the proud presentation of a thesis or dissertation or the finalization and approval of a department expansion. The hard part for any of these accomplishments is the process. The process is the difficult part, not because the concepts or the organizations are difficult. It is challenging because life and responsibilities often cloud the path to completion. I believe that anyone can accomplish anything given sufficient support. Helping individuals clear the obstacles that get in the way of performing at their is a part of teaching and managing that I think many have forgotten. To address the diversity of those around me it is necessary to give individuals room to be themselves while also contributing to forward progress. Breaking learning and achievement into manageable pieces not only creates accomplishment that fuels motivation, but it also allows major goals to be accomplished. Communication and relationship building are key. As a manager and educator, I want to learn what type of communication fits the needs of those around me and I do that by building a relationship with them. Availability is also important. Flexible work places allow for focus when it fits into varying schedules. This creates a challenge because it is difficult to wait for clarification or an answer to a question that can derail the study time that had been set aside to work. Clear communication minimizes questions that arise and the ability to answer questions promptly keeps everyone on track. Finding the balance between sharing my knowledge and pushing those around me to do just a bit more than they think they are able to creates positive outcomes and builds confidence. My work is to build that desire so that it is strong and persistent.